 Let me weave you a sad tale you're young who wasn't insidiki Yes You're so excited for your big part and you're an assistant on this huge film and you get to act as one of your acting Legit your heroes and you show up on opening night. You're wearing a dress up and they cut you and what does he say in his car? Marachos Back to our super regs units of Corbin Yeah, I I found that out that was the last bit of information I found doing any research. Yeah, I was like oh It's so sad one porno was I cut no was don't ever do that Well, you know sincerity How much time It's already a five-hour film anyways today, obviously we're doing a movie review of the It was shot in multiple languages. We watched the Tamil version because that's I mean I know they shot in Hindi and Tamil, but Kamal Hassan's language is Natural languages Tamil and so we wanted to make sure we watched it in that language And so yeah, we have so this counts as the playlist for Tamil. Yes Even though there was Tamil there was Hindi and there was English and there was a little Bengali in there Yeah, Ronnie McCurdy because obviously they were it was all over the place Yeah in terms of where they were in India at the time So regardless it's came out to almost 22 years ago. It's a long time So obviously it's gonna be a complete spoiler review if you haven't watched it We saw it on Amazon if you have a five hours Just go give it a watch if not we will spoil you here But it was directed Written produced starring the Kamal Hassan That's that's a lot of hats to take on yes It is a lot of hats, but also starring a bunch of other people Few names you may or may not have heard obviously Kamal Hassan is the lead and the one that is in the majority of it But Shah Rukhan, Ronnie McCurdy Naserdin Shah, Omkori And then there was also See that Vandara Das, we just saw a monsoon wedding and then there was a whole bunch of other people There was a lot of it's a long film and there's a lot of people in this and they cut Nawazid and Siddiqi. I would like to see that sing one day Regardless Rick your initial thoughts, please. Well, I Wonder how the stupid families Thinking about our reaction to this because we've been talking about getting introduced to Kamal Hassan for a long long time Legend in Indian cinema. Yeah, the the first introduction. We had to a film of his we did not enjoy He was the only thing we liked in the area and we didn't love it. No, we were just like, okay, so this was like Redemption time. Yeah, he's either gonna bring us to a place where maybe we're gonna see what everyone else has seen Or we're gonna go off the waiver tracks. Yeah Drumroll. I love this movie. I Absolutely love this movie. That's good. Yeah I Ended up enjoying this film like overall which is surprising. There are a lot of problems with this film Okay, but it did not spoil my enjoyment of this film. That's what I want to say Because like I I even said in the halfway point because I watched this in two parts Surprisingly, I thought it was gonna be more parts than that. Mm-hmm, right I stopped at the interval. Yeah, and then I started at night and then we started it again the next day But I was like, I'm actually really enjoying this one even though there was Aspects of it that I just I Would have done differently, but also I did give it a lot of grace in terms of when it came out. Absolutely But overall I did really enjoy I enjoyed the epicness of it I enjoyed it felt at times Indiana Jones ish, right? Very it It has the same scope Epic Magnum opus that like Lawrence of a raider. Yeah, totally. It reminded me and since I'm saying that I Read up and you probably did too about the what happened with the creation of the score. Yeah This score is Magnificent. Yeah, so we'll get it. We'll get into absolutely all of it What we what we enjoyed what we didn't enjoy but let's start with the acting. Yes, obviously You if you saw the last commos on film. I don't it was called abe something something it was And that's not because we're disrespecting the title There's a lot of films that happen with us for an Indian film that the name is done in the language of the film And then it's hardly nearly impossible for us to remember it because we don't speak the language So we just remember it like the necklace film. Yeah, or the Deborah film. Yeah, so that one obviously we did not enjoy at all Not at all this Some so I would watch this. Oh, I would watch this again. This is night and day. Yeah, exactly So let's talk about Kamala Sun. I thought he did a phenomenal job. I really really enjoyed his performance It was very nuanced from the starting and taking us on this very long journey of this guy Yep, uh of uh of this character who has a massive arc and also a very sad story But also I want to we'll get into his directing in a minute as well, but I want to commend him for For one trying to play this character who for the long time. I because I don't know the story of how Gandhi was assassinated Oh, so I didn't know if it was this guy or not. Ah, good. So yeah, so I was like Is he gonna play the assassin right one? I love that I love when people play characters that aren't supposed to remain characters well, and from what it's worth I didn't know either because I don't know the backstory on the man who killed Gandhi at the time. He was Hindu. Yeah, and I thought for a while Oh, wow I knew it was fiction and I thought oh wow Are they gonna give us and like a story about maybe what this guy's story was about? So I too wasn't exactly sure what his outcome was gonna be even though I know the end of what happened to Gandhi Yeah, but I thought his performance was incredibly nuanced It definitely took you on a journey and even though I think it's long and you definitely could have cut some stuff. Oh sure It didn't bother me as much as I thought kind of like well gone Even though even though I I think that's an overall better film But there's this it the length didn't bother me as much as I thought it was going to bother me, right? Like I was surprised. I was like I was able to get two hours in it's like I'm excited started again tomorrow exactly the same way I feel about Lawrence of Arabia Lawrence of Arabia is very long and it feels like a long film But it doesn't bother you. Yeah, you were like, okay. This is gonna be a while But I'm I actually am not bothered in any way about it The I two things about his performance. The first one is You this film did everything I was hoping it would do in terms of showing me What everyone's been saying about Kamal Hassan Yeah, they've been saying this is one of the greatest actors in Indian history Yeah, and that his capacity as an actor is up there with any of the names that we talk about We just haven't been exposed to it. Yeah, it's our second film of his and I I saw believability I saw him in the moment. I saw him thinking I saw him Feeling not trying to muster up feelings and let's talk about the physical transformation He goes through massive. He basically in this film covers every physiological place he could be in from Massively bulked up to freaking emaciated. Yeah, I would love to know that story alone about The sequencing for the filming and what he did to himself physically to become this man Yeah, at that all of these stages of his life at that moment where it was that whatever green screen they had and it was obviously When he took off his shirt. Yeah And his whole when he renounces and he goes into the water like you got massive you got really really big it's truly This is on par for me as far as physical transformation as deniro enraging bull Going through a drastic physical transformation Yeah If people were to say to me what for you are some of the roles in your mind where you watched actors in one film go through a Massive physical transformation. Yeah, it's obviously it's deniro enraging bull Tom Hanks went through a major transformation for cast away This would be for me right at the forefront of my mind of watch watch what Kamal Nassan does Physically, yeah, what he goes through in this film. Absolutely while he's helming it as the producer and the director. That's a lot of hats Freakin crazy one one. It's difficult enough to to act In and do this it's something this big. Yeah, and this is a he's carrying it. It's a massive Indiana Jones style in terms of action in the practical which we'll get into But it's a massive film. I think at the time was one of the biggest films out of India Absolutely huge and so just do that acting is one thing but to also take on the directing writing and the producing hat Herculean that is insane. That's a Herculean achievement in an artist in cinematic artistry. I want to talk about it everyone else yeah Ronnie McCardy is quickly becoming one of my favorites man I want to see everything she's done because every single time we've seen black I think was the first thing right? Yeah, that's what our first Really really good in that. Yeah, and then what was the last thing we saw and that was what was it called? What was it? It's recent. Yeah, it was recent. What was it? crap, I can't I don't know why I can't remember it. You know why I can't because I'm That was immediately overshadowed by Tilla Tomah films. Oh, yeah, so Talaash, that's a lot. Yes. I'm your con. Yes, but yes I want to explore her a lot more because she Kills every role. She's been in so far. She's absolutely been like incredible She reminds me she's a very different kind of actress But the impressiveness on the way that she's becoming more and more impressive is like Tilla Tomah. Yeah, um, I Really enjoyed your performance. I really enjoyed what Kamal Hassan did with their relationship and I Am so grateful for two things he did and this is parting into the direction we'll get into But with the relationship both with this wife and the second wife He he did stuff and this is 20 years ago Yeah, he did stuff both with the violence mm-hmm and the sexual content that was very very edgy Absolutely, and I applaud him because it made the film far more believable and real to life and deeply deeply into it. Yeah. Yes, I really enjoyed what he did because they they Had a deep loving relationship. It's beautiful. I mean them like that was like they them I think he said I'm gonna have you for dessert It's a great line But so they had that when he's playing the piano and she's down underneath under the piano like heck Yeah, come on my wife or watching that and we're like, oh That's under Honda on level five I love what he did with their performance and also he did not shy away It shocked me when obviously she was being raped right by all these people. Yeah awful Yeah, an awful awful awful scene But then when he came in and she was literally gushing gushing blood out of her neck. I was like damn Yeah, I loved one. I'm not that I love that. She died. It was very sad I was like no, she was gonna be in more of the movie. Yeah, but it shocked me that that at that time That's what they showed and it's a great example of why that kind of thing is necessary Because I appreciate in his direction that he didn't show us the right we heard that's all we needed I don't I really have a hard time with rapes yet Yeah, and I a lot of audience members can be triggered by it because some of victims of it, right? So I feel like his direction among other places and molded into was really well done in that and the shock factor of this beautiful relationship and him looking down in his response to There's nothing I can do to save her. Yeah The graphic-ness of that was everything you needed to see in that moment and for me It had a little extra sense of the personal because you're always imposing your own What if I was in there? Yeah, and I'm like Yeah, if that was me my I know what I would do. Yeah, and I would I would do what he did I would get weapons and I would just go kill everybody. I could who I thought was responsible. Yeah I would do what he did. Absolutely. Yeah, you can definitely empathize with him in that moment And so I thought it was incredibly brilliant what he did with the directing and obviously him and Ronnie McCurgy I thought it was a great chemistry On on screen So as did I thought she did the beautiful job. Um, we were just talking about. Yeah, I was gonna talk about her Sorry, I'm getting back to her here. Doss Doss Forgive me for not knowing your name. We haven't seen them on soon a wedding daughter There were four people that we talked about in there that we didn't love Mm-hmm. I thought even though we didn't love her She was the best of the ones that I thought didn't do a great job She did a phenomenal job much better. She did so so well. So and I think this was Before yeah, this is before monsoon that wedding that that one. So She definitely has one. She is just like in that one. She has great screen presence Beautiful beautiful eyes, but I thought she did a great nuanced performance in this and being the second wife Yeah, wanting that affection from your husband and it's a beautifully written character And you really empathize with her and you also You can empathize with him I loved Kamal's approach to the character where he didn't you didn't you understood where he was coming from it wasn't like Wow, why are you being so mean to the sweet girl? It was man. This is so hard for both of them I hope they can get past this because this is really hard for both of them And I love when she finally gets him to smile for a second. She says you smiled He said I did she says, yeah, you just smiled again So come on. It's way better with a beer. You think Great with a beer and I felt that pretty much everybody across the board. You know who else I thought had a beautiful moment We've seen him a gazillion times Yes, yeah, I thought the moment in the car when he finally sees him after several years and he discovers that his buddy is Basically homeless now. Yeah, I thought and and Kamal did something really beautiful It's it's here's something that shows you the capacity of Kamal Hassan and when you see little things They're having that moment and Sarab Shukla is having his moment and a tear goes down his cheek and Kamal out of his compassion for his friend in the moment with the character just reaches up and wipes the tear Yeah, I thought that was beautiful Yeah, and I thought it was you really felt it because he was like, I think he said something along the lines of You're from North India. You wouldn't understand it. Yes. I'm all just very subtly says no I understand it. I understand. It was a beautiful beautiful moment because this film obviously has a ton I think a ton of messages, but obviously yeah, which we'll get we'll probably close with that the the messages between You know Hindus Muslims. Yes, and all different parts of India and but I thought So, let's see. Oh, I thought necessarily the job course. I thought he played great Gandhi Yeah, I and I read something I read two things about the Gandhi aspect of the film meaning particularly when the serenity is on screen That a couple people didn't like his portrayal of Gandhi and I'm not exactly sure why and then secondarily I thought this was a really beautiful thing that Kamal Hassan did because I picked up on it I know the story well enough about Gandhi that I know what Gandhi's last words were when he died He had last words when he was shot. Yeah, and they didn't depict it that way in the film Mm-hmm, and I read that Kamal specifically chose to not depict it Exactly the way it was done to let everybody know once again. This is a work of fiction. Mm-hmm I'm not trying to tell you a literal telling. Yeah, I'm just giving you an idea of what may have happened if this happened Yeah, and I thought that was a really Smart intelligent sensitive right thing to do in every way because when you're I'll harp on this constantly when you're telling a true story You should be exact. Yeah, but this from the get-go was a work of fiction Yeah, it makes it a point to just do a little twist to let you know. I know what I'm doing isn't the real story Yeah, it was very similar to a lot of stories that are done here of Alternatives to the gay JFK assassination, right? So like was there another person with grassy knoll, right? So that it's very similar to something like that they make up this character and put him in this like oh, I guess that yeah That could have happened. Yeah, and so that's that's really what this was doing Would you show up on? First of all, I heard that there was flak and it was justified that Kamal had put posters up all over Mumbai with Shabu Khan's face all over it and he's barely supporting. He's barely supporting and I also heard that he was In total awe. Yeah on set of Come on in the same way that like Pacino was an all-brando in the Godfather But I thought I thought he did a very solid job. He had a couple of moments This is really my new criteria where in the climactic scene the last 20 minutes He had a couple of moments that seemed forced. Well, yeah, but I did give him a little leeway because this is coming right off the 90s of 90s melodramatic that's why when I say I'm con it's it's yeah, I saw that well as well And I let it pass. I was like this is like a little a little too over dramatic there for everyone else being very very small But agreed. Yeah, he's coming out of Being the Bollywood guy right in a stereotypical kind of things that he does into a like really deep like him dying and shaking I was like, okay, that's that's a little much right little much there Just a little bit, but I that's being hyper-critical He's I kind of gave him a little leeway, but I did enjoy all the songs in this as well Oh, man, the beginning song was really fun and with score score of this is great And what the other thing about the directing and we could go on and on about the score I also want to mention acting wise who was the guy who played his buddy who? Sees him right afterwards and kind of recruits him and makes him the one to go kill Gandhi and gets paralyzed We've seen him before yes, we have and I thought he was haul it Clearly an actor who understands the power of stillness Because he consistently had an intensity about him that was derived solely from the Kind of a do you remember his name Richard Burton level of just stillness on screen. Do you remember his name? I don't I would if I heard it Yeah, I thought he did a really good job right you saw the one that was trying to recruit him Yeah, he I thought he did a really good job. I think everybody in this film did a really good job There was some there was some supporting characters who I did not did not appreciate very much The white British guy at the end who was like it was a Hindu who did it now We have to do this. So who did it? It was a Hindu. I was hoping it was thank God It was the end and the beginning I Hated the ending No, the way it ended with going to the black and white Characters the the son and then the grandson of Gandhi. No, I hated I didn't care about them at all I thought they could have actually scrapped that entire black and white thing. I really liked it I did I like I don't think it was necessary. You could have told this story and I could have I didn't need the current today. I loved I loved him going through the pictures and Summarizing and how when the credits rolled up they were in the room and that no I think is that Kamala Sons character that he he had kept the shoes in the glasses I kind of I didn't care at all. I was like it could have been much more powerful if you ended on Kamala Son like I think maybe right after the assassination or whatever Kamala Sons point ended on a At that time, I think I would have known to our power. Well and one last thing about the direction I saw in this what we've heard from people and we saw didn't we see like a highlight thing of Kamala Sons acting roles and how In it we were told he's always wanted to be on the cutting edge of everything Yeah, I saw in this film in his direction. Yeah, this film is different It is unique as much as it feels like the spectacle of a Lawrence of Arabia. It also has this very experimental almost Stanley Kubrick in a way kind of Usage of just becoming surreal at the moment I was one of my favorite parts about this film is the sets and the big action that he decided to add in this stunt crew Yeah, absolutely stunt work like I I Harbored it to Indiana Jones because Indiana Jones. It's old school Steven Spielberg essentially, right? Everything is practical. They're all on actual sets, right? And then All the explosions are practical around you and the stop work is practical. Yeah guy falls down the stairs Yeah, and or like they there's something on fire like they'll actually put a fire on the set here It's not CGI CGI anything like that. I enjoyed that part of it I think it it happened back to old school Filmmaking, which I really enjoyed and it was a little Tarantino way because what what he went out of his way to do was on gunshots He did two things with a lot of the gunshots He made sure that there was some pullback on those bodies for some recoil as well as backsplash Sometimes would explode sometimes a little too much like the guy that got shot off of the the motorcycle and then flip three times I like it sometimes obviously there was stuff like that But I was like I like since that's the world that they build. I was like I I get it. Yeah, I enjoy it Yeah, I mean that happened in Indiana Jones. Nobody blinked an eye And so it's I was like if you build this world. I was like I'm here for it I thought he did a phenomenal job in the beginning with the the riots and Calcutta or was this called color right? Yeah, there were two the opening in Calcutta And then the little bro the fighting sequences with rioting Reminded me of some of the epic mob free us sequences in Bombay, which were huge and they were brutal Yeah, yeah, so I love that aspect of it of the yeah, I love a sense the the the fun Action it does. I really really enjoyed that. I there was like I said, I did not enjoy any of the black and white It's really I was like I didn't see the point of it. No, I did we could go on on I did tire time I didn't like that's how they ended it on characters that you just met and don't care about Yeah, but see you don't you may not you may not care about them and see them but I found like one of the most poignant and touching and Emotional moments was him looking up at the nurse and who he seizes his wife. I loved that No I did not enjoy any that that part and I had one last thing that we Haven't touched upon which are some of the messages of the film. Oh, yeah And I particularly liked it could have so easily been very heavy-handed or melodramatically cliche But when right before Gandhi's assassinated He wants to come and confess. Yeah And he wants to open up and show him I've had this gun and I was going to use it to kill you And then just a few moments later. He's killed and he's going to understandably kill him but doesn't Showing us the message not only that he has come through this full arc of recognizing the the complete and total degradation of vengeance and how The that violence just begets more violence and in a moment where he would ordinarily It proved the change in his character where if he's sitting on the table and you hit the knee and the knee goes That character 10 years ago shoots that man without thinking. Yeah But now because he's grown and he's changed He stops and it's the lesson of not only his character, but it's the lesson of of the film of Violence only begets more violence. So and there's a bunch of other messages I thought he did a really good job in in terms because for a while at the beginning I was like, is this just going to be like a pro-Hindu, right? Like I was a little uncomfortable. Yeah, I was like, is this going to just be about the muslims or the bad people? Right. I wasn't really uncomfortable with that. At the beginning. I was like Because I'm not okay with that But obviously that's obviously not where it ended and because I saw you saw these Muslims that had lost people and that were that were hurting And then you saw the the hindu's that were hurting they've lost people as well on both sides Yeah, they're just killing each other. Yeah, because when you because there are stories where you are going to tell a true story And somebody who was hindu is the one who did the bad thing somebody who was muslim was someone who did the bad thing Right, but this story especially within the context of what was going on in india with gandhi and partition and all through that Uh, it I was glad that it did what history records. Yeah, which is Everybody died on both sides. Yeah, everybody was and That's a lot of the reason why there was a lot of the time when gandhi was fasting Say what you want about gandhi positive or negative I know from what I know the little I know about him was that it was Anytime people were fighting each other whether it was his muslims and hindu's hindu's against hindu's muslims against muslims Gandhi was like no violence. No, don't kill each other. Don't kill each other. Yeah, so I I loved it Yeah, so I I really enjoyed it as well and watch it again Absolutely, and I want us now. I'm excited for kamal is on. Well, I know he has a bunch Yeah, now I'm excited. He does have that that the one with shri devi as well that the sadhma Uh, and so let us know what the next kamal husan film that we should watch Uh, we loved obviously what see him flex his thespian muscles even more We do enjoy that. Um, so let us know what's the next kamal husan film We should watch down below and also the next tamo film they might go hand in hand Let us know